Future-draw lottery games involve purchasing a chance or wager, usually in the form of a ticket, to match a result in a drawing to be held after the chance is purchased. Lotto and keno are two examples of future-draw lottery games. In an instant-win or instant lottery game, whether a ticket or chance will be a winner is determined before or at the time of purchase. Thus, a winning instant lottery ticket may typically be redeemed for a prize immediately. Common types of instant win lottery games include pre-printed tickets such as pull-tab tickets, peel-off tickets, or scratch-off tickets. Instant win lottery games may also be provided electronically, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,606, to Riendeau.
Pre-printed lottery tickets used for instant lottery games may be cumbersome and expensive. Typically, activated instant tickets are bearer instruments, with the winning tickets redeemable for cash. Security requirements necessitate the use of secure printing and distribution of pre-printed instant lottery tickets, and careful inventory control to prevent shrinkage. In addition, instant lottery tickets are traditionally printed in packs or books before the tickets are distributed to lottery retailers and lottery retail machines. This requires the lottery operator to determine the number of tickets to be printed for a particular instant lottery game before the instant lottery tickets are sold and to carefully and securely control the inventory of such tickets to prevent shrinkage and fraud. Also, printing the tickets before distribution and sale limits the speed and ease with which a lottery operator can change the instant lottery ticket games.
Instant lottery games are provided in a wide range of types, sizes, colors, and themes. They are typically sold as an “impulse purchase” item near a cash register or point of sale terminal, or from unattended terminals or vending machines in high traffic areas, for example train stations, other transportation hubs, bowling alleys, or other entertainment venues. Instant lottery games are typically printed with bright colors in a visually attractive design to attract consumer attention and encourage such impulse purchases.
In future-draw lottery systems, customers can typically purchase tickets at a dedicated lottery terminal in a convenience store or similar establishment, where the tickets are printed to order. Each dedicated lottery terminal communicates with a central lottery server to exchange information and instructions associated with a given lottery transaction. Although future-draw tickets are popular, they often do not have the attractive point of sale presence of instant tickets displayed at a cash register, nor do they have “impulse buying” attraction of instant lottery game tickets. Future-draw lottery systems are typically “planned” purchases, as opposed to impulse purchases. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,510, to Roberts allows the printing of instant lottery tickets at a lottery terminal selling future-draw lottery tickets, but still requires a special ticket stock with pre-printed information.